The present invention relates generally to agricultural combines, and more particularly, to an adjustable regulator for a spreader assembly of an agricultural combine to discharge and regulate a flow of crop residue in a plurality of directions for disposition rearwardly of the combine over a field.
Agricultural equipment known as combines or combine harvesters are continuously being designed to increase capacity. Such designs include widening the headers of the harvesters. The wider headers provide a larger tonnage flow rate of crop without having to travel at faster field speeds. Wider headers however, pose a challenge to today's existing residue systems due to the requirements to spread crop residue as wide as the cut. As such, various concepts are being developed to replace the ordinary hood mount chopper and spread board systems of combine harvesters. Some of these concepts include horizontal discs placed directly behind the hood mount chopper. The horizontal discs expel the crop with more force then the knives of the hood mount chopper.
Another means to meet this challenge is the use of vertical spreader systems used on such agricultural combine products manufactured by e.g., Case New Holland. The challenge of any residue system however, is not only being able to spread the crop reside to a width of 40′, 50′ or 60′, but also to do this in the presence of a strong (e.g., +10 MPH) side wind or cross wind. Such cross winds typically stall any sideways projection of the crop reside material, resulting in uneven distribution of crop residue. This is problematic because an uneven distribution of crop residue over a swath can lead to temperature and moisture gradients detrimental to even growth of future crops on the field, uneven insulation of the field resulting in uneven field warming and thawing and crop emergence during the following planting season, and increased rodent and insect habitat. It can also make it difficult for crops to utilize nutrients, and can impact the effectiveness of agricultural chemicals. Large discontinuities of crop residue can also lead to plugging and other functional problems with tillage and/or planting equipment.
Agricultural equipment has evolved to improve efficiency yet maintain realistic costs. In order to remain competitive, designs must continue to evolve in order to meet the economic needs of the end user. Increased efficiency through improved fuel economy has always been a significant driver in the industry. The economics of materials other than grain (MOG) or residue management has also become a significant driver in the industry. As agricultural practices continue to evolve through practices of minimum tillage and biomass harvesting, combine harvesters are required to deliver a consistent and thorough means for processing and spreading the residue. This evolving industrial focus and requirement for even spread of the residue material demands improved systems without adding excessive cost or complexity.
Currently, agricultural combines typically include a crop residue spreader for disposing of straw and other residue separated from the harvested crop onto the field from which the crop was harvested. In addition, some combines have a chaff spreader for spreading chaff residue separated from the grain by the cleaning apparatus or system onto the field.
Although various residue spreaders are known which can propel residue a distance equal to about one half the width of a typical combine header, many suffer from shortcomings, including a tendency to create uneven crop residue distribution or coverage in the side to side direction over the cut width. More particularly, for a vertical spreader, that is, a spreader utilizing one or more rotary impellers or other elements rotatable about a generally horizontal axis, or an axis oriented or tilted at a small acute angle to horizontal, and configured for directing a flow or flows of crop residue sidewardly; it has been found that the resultant coverage has a tendency to be uneven in the sidewardly direction. For instance, crop residue coverage can typically be thicker toward the outer regions or sides of the swath, and thinner or less uniform closer to the center of the swath.
Thus, there is a need for an adjustable spreader assembly that is economically feasible and effective at addressing the problems of conventional spreader assemblies, as discussed above. In particular, there is a need for a spreader assembly having a regulator that can be adjusted to provide for a desired pattern of crop residue distribution. Such desired distribution patterns include more evenly distributed side to side distributions over a region of the agricultural field from which the crop was harvested.